Sundowns survive Wits scare

[Posted 14 Sep 2011][By Beezsports Reporter]

Mamelodi Sundowns survived the torrent of Bidvest Wits second half come back to hold onto a 3-2 victory in a ABSA Premier Soccer League match played at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night to collect maximum points.

The Patrice Motsepe owned outfit raced to a 3-0 lead in a First half which saw a night-marish perormance from the home team.

Sundowns dominated Wits in midfield, and things literally fell apart for Roger De Sa's men, and Bafana striker Katlego Mphela had a field day, and grabbed a double to lead the first half rout.

Mabhuti Khenyeza asked questions of the Wits defence and his blistering shot was parried away for a corner by keeper Energy Murambadoro.

It was from this resultant corner that Surprise Moriri ghosted between a rushing Murambadoro and a Wits defender to powerfully head into the net to give Downs the much deserved lead.

Teko Modise twice exposed the holes in the center of the Wits midfield, and twice he fed Mphela to score his brace which saw Downs race to a 3-0 lead.

Wits returned from the break on fire and looked like they were ready to overrun their more illustrious opponents.

Sifiso Myeni is always Wits' livewire and he and Sibusiso Vilakazi troubled Johan Neeskens's charges early in the second half. From Myeni's corss in the 63rd minute, Mbulelo Mabizela pulled one back for the Clever Boys.

Wits could have easily scored two goals thereafter, but they had what looked like two genuine penalty claims turned down by the middle man.

Sibusiso Vilakazi, not Sifiso, then got Wits' second goal in the 70th minute to give the Clever Boys a good fighting platform.

Fighting, De Sa's charges did, and in the process exposed Sundowns' inexperience at the back in the absence of captain Method Mwanjali and new signing Clayton Daniels.